Preservative Effect of Chitosan Coating on Shelf Life and Sensory Properties of Chicken Fillets During Chilled Storage

Background: chicken fillets contain essential amino acids besides many minerals and vitamins, which are necessary for maintaining life and promoting growth. moreover, it is low in calories and cholesterol; therefore, it can be used for feeding infants, young children, and some patients. methods: chicken fillets were initially coated by dipping in different concentrations of chitosan (1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%), and then the shelf life of coated samples was investigated under refrigeration storage (4 ± 1 °c) for 15 days. the control (uncoated) and coated samples were analyzed periodically for bacteriological, ph value, and sensory characteristics. results: the sensory evaluation results correlated with the microbial analyses. chitosan-coated samples achieved a shelf-life extension of 12 days at chilled storage temperature (4 ± 1 °c) whereas the non-coated samples had a shelf life of 3 days at the same storage temperature. there were no significant organoleptic changes within the chitosan- coated samples (p > 0.05). the ph values of all coated samples were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). however, the obtained data revealed that chicken fillets samples coated with chitosan (1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) led to a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of the total aerobic bacterial count (tbc), total enterobacteriaceae, and total staphylococcus counts along the storage period. conclusion: the present study established that application of chitosan coating on chicken fillets could have a potential for preserving the microbiological quality and enhancing sensory attributes during chilled storage.